To Bloom Again
by LunaClefairy
Summary: More than a century after the death of Iris of Repliforce, a female Reploid of the same name is found sealed in an abandoned lab and joins the Resistance. Juggling the duties of a support Reploid and her growing feelings for the reawakened Zero, she struggles to find her place in a world where death could arrive at any moment.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The first thing she was aware of was darkness. An endless field of black stretched as far as she could see. Then, one by one, her senses began to activate. First was touch, which alerted her to the fact that she was lying down on an inclined metal surface. Next was her sense of smell, which enabled her to discover that the air she breathed was stagnant. Next, her hearing booted up, allowing her to hear some people murmuring nearby. Her eyes fluttered open as her sight came online, and the world became visible to her for the first time. A glass barrier covered her resting place, enabling her to see the metal ceiling above her. The glass was also reflective enough for her to see what she looked like.

Physically, she had the appearance of a petite sixteen-year old girl, with curves in all the right places and slender black limbs. She wore a knee-length dress that was primarily colored red from her neck to her waist but primarily blue from the waist down. Yellow bands accented the top of her dress, while the skirt part was decorated with both red and yellow material. The dress's puffed sleeves were short and pink, while her shoes were armored pink and white heels. Her long brown hair was tied in a low ponytail by a blue and yellow hair band. Finally, yellow rings covered her wrists and ankles, and a bright red beret was placed atop her head.

Her first emotion was confusion. Who was she? What was she doing here? What was her purpose in the world? Before she could even begin to answer these questions, a sharp hiss filled her auditory sensors. The glass that had covered her was lifting up, releasing the compressed air it contained. When the glass cover was fully upright, she allowed herself to sit up.

She was finally able to get a better look at her surroundings. It was apparent that she was in some sort of laboratory. However, the place was in a state of disrepair. Almost everything looked like it was corroding or falling apart. Her eyes soon landed on a small group of humanoids nearby. They all wore green military uniforms with matching berets and brown metallic boots. She quickly identified them as mechanical beings: Replica Androids, or Reploids.

She had a sudden revelation: she was a Reploid, too. She had been activated just moments ago and her processor was slowly feeding her basic information that all Reploids were preprogrammed with. But where was her creator and why were those Reploids all pointing _guns_ at her?!

Frightened, the newly-activated Reploid whimpered and shrunk back into her capsule. Her processor searched for a possible way to escape the situation, but she had no combat functions, weapons, or exceptional athletic or intellectual abilities. She was a thoroughly average civilian Reploid in every conceivable way, and in this situation, that meant she was done for. She couldn't believe that she had just been activated only to be destroyed! Why did these Reploids even bother to awaken her in the first place if they just wanted to kill her?

"I don't think she's dangerous," one of the Reploids murmured. "She looks scared out of her wits. I think she would have attacked by now if she presented a threat."

A tense standoff followed. The newly-activated female Reploid curled up into a ball, praying and pleading that the others wouldn't shoot. Finally, an order pierced the silence.

"Lower your weapons!"

A series of clinks and clicks alerted the young female that the guns were no longer pointed at her, but she was still too scared to move. She stiffened as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry we frightened you. We didn't know if you were a threat or not."

The female Reploid timidly uncurled herself and looked at the speaker. He was a bit taller than her, and he wore a see-through visor in addition to his beret.

"What is your name?" he asked.

With everything that had happened in her first few moments of life, the female Reploid had never had a chance to search through her data for her name. Now that she was calmer and no longer at gunpoint, she found the desired information.

"My name is…Iris," she murmured. "Who are you? Where is my creator?"

"My name is Milan. I'm part of a group of Reploids called the Resistance. Our leader found this lab and we were ordered to investigate it, which is how we discovered you. Based on the state of this place, I'm guessing your creator is long gone."

A weight settled inside Iris's chest. Did her creator abandon her? She desperately searched through her data archives for a clue, and to her surprise, found an audio message addressed to her. Hurriedly, she played it for herself.

"_Greetings, Iris. My name is Professor Dahlia. I am the one that created you. If you are listening to this message, then I will be long gone. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was forced to seal you away before you had a chance to be activated. It is likely that many years have passed since you were sealed, and you will probably be alone in a world that you know nothing about. But don't be afraid. When the time comes, you will know the reason why you were brought into this world as well as why I sealed you away. I am sorry that we were never able to meet face to face, but know that I care for you as if you were my own child. I wish you happiness and I hope you can help bring the world true peace."_

Iris blinked in a mixture of surprise and confusion at the message. What sort of role was she supposed to play? As far as she could tell, she was as ordinary as a Reploid could get. How could someone like her help the world find peace?

"Iris? Are you okay?" asked Milan.

"Oh! Sorry… I was just thinking," she replied.

"It's dangerous for you to be out here by yourself. You should probably come with us."

"Huh? Why?"

"It's a long story, but basically, we Reploids aren't very welcome in the world anymore. When we get back to our base, Dr. Ciel can explain everything."

Iris felt a shiver crawl down her spine. What could have happened to make Reploids unwelcome? She wobbly stood up with Milan's help and joined the group of soldier-like Reploids. She was a bit reluctant to trust these Reploids since they had held her at gunpoint just a few minutes ago, but she didn't know how the world around her had changed since she was built. If Milan was telling the truth, she'd be much safer with an armed group than by herself.

"Okay everyone, let's head back to base!" Milan ordered. The small group followed his lead out of the lab. Iris was finally able to properly examine the place where she had lain dormant. It was in worse shape than she initially thought. The metal had cracked and corroded with time, leaving holes in the ceilings and walls, and the machines were completely defunct and covered with grime. If she had to guess, many decades must have passed since the lab was last used. She could only assume that either her capsule had been exceptionally engineered or she was just extremely lucky.

Milan led Iris and the other soldiers to a disk-shaped beige device which he called a Transerver. He explained to her that the Transerver was used to travel quickly between various areas. Someone could use a Transerver to warp to any other available Transerver. Milan set the Transerver's destination and urged Iris to get on top of the device. Hesitantly, she did so. After the Transerver activated, Iris's vision went white and she was overcome with an odd sense of weightlessness. This lasted all but a second, and before she knew it she was back on solid ground.

Feeling disoriented, she stumbled off the Transerver while trying to get her bearings. This was not the same building she had been in before. While it was still run-down, it wasn't in complete disrepair. A nearby noise jolted Iris out of her thoughts. She saw that the other Reploids from the group were appearing from the Transerver, one by one. When Milan arrived, he approached her.

"Follow me, Iris," he said. "I'll take you to see Dr. Ciel."

"O-okay."

Milan led Iris through numerous halls. They passed many other Reploids wearing the same kind of uniform as Milan. Iris shrank away from the others and avoided making eye contact. She doubted they were bad Reploids, but her earlier experience made her wary.

At last, they entered a small laboratory. It was very basic in design, with only one computer and a few other pieces of necessary furniture. Iris peeked around Milan and saw someone seated at the computer and busily typing. Nearby this person hovered a tiny fairylike creature. Iris's data archives informed her that the fairy was a Cyber Elf, a sentient program created to empower Reploids.

"Dr. Ciel! We've found a new one!" Milan announced.

The person stopped typing and swiveled her chair around. She lifted a white visor from her face, revealing cobalt eyes. Iris gave a start when her scanners identified that Ciel was a young human. Ciel's outfit was very similar to a Reploid's body armor, consisting of a black bodysuit, a pink vest and skirt, white gloves, and matching shoes and helmet. Her blond hair poked through an opening in the back of her helmet and reached just past her waist. She honestly didn't look like a doctor or the leader of an organization of Reploids.

"Oh? Who are you?" Ciel asked.

"M-my name is Iris, ma'am," Iris replied. "So, you lead all these Reploids? But you're a human, and you're so young!"

The Cyber Elf flew right into Iris's face. "Don't underestimate Ciel! She may be young, but she's a genius!"

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean any offense, honest!" Iris apologized.

"It's all right. I'm not mad," said Ciel. "So Milan, you found her in the lab we discovered?"

"That's right," confirmed Milan. "We found her sealed and activated her on-site. Based on the lab's condition, I'd say she must've been there for at least a century."

"A century…" Ciel muttered thoughtfully. "Milan, you're dismissed. I will explain everything to Iris."

"Understood." Milan left the lab, and the door shut behind him.

"I assume Milan has already explained why he brought you here?" asked Ciel.

"Yes. He said Reploids aren't welcome in the world anymore," Iris replied. "But why is that?"

"Wow, you're really out of the loop," the Cyber Elf commented.

"Passy, if she truly was sealed away for a century, then that's only natural," Ciel reasoned. "Let me start from the beginning…"

Ciel explained that the nearly the entire population of the world lived a utopia called Neo Arcadia, and it was in the midst of a major energy crisis. In order to conserve energy for the humans, innocent Reploids were unfairly labeled as Mavericks and sentenced to death. When Ciel found out about this, she helped the Reploids escape Neo Arcadia to this ruined city. She organized them and formed a group which became known as the Resistance so they could defend themselves against Neo Arcadia's oppressive rule.

"That's horrible…" Iris commented.

"Five years have passed since then," Ciel continued. "We've managed to hold off Neo Arcadian forces with guerilla tactics, but we can't keep this up forever. And so…I've been searching for Zero."

"Zero? How can a number help you?" Iris wondered. In response, Passy rammed into her head.

"What's wrong with you?!" the Cyber Elf demanded. "You've never heard of the legendary Maverick Hunter Zero?"

Iris winced and massaged the bump. "Well, uh… Okay, no, I haven't! That knowledge wasn't programmed into me!"

Now that she thought about it, though, the name "Zero" did strike a chord with her. It carried a pleasant nostalgic feeling, even though that shouldn't be possible since she'd only been active for half an hour tops. Did that mean Professor Dahlia had missed a glitch in her systems?

"Actually, it's not all that surprising that you don't know," said Ciel. "If Milan's estimate of the time you spent sealed is accurate, that meant you were built around the time Zero supposedly went into stasis."

"Oh, wow… Can you tell me more about Zero?"

"As you can guess from the title 'legendary', his strength was beyond compare. He was instrumental in quelling every Maverick rebellion that occurred during his time. But he eventually sealed himself away permanently. Some legends say it was because he believed the bloodshed would never stop as long as he was around."

"Wow. That's so sad…" Iris commented. "It sounds like Zero was really noble. I would have liked to meet him."

"If I can find him, you'll be able to do just that," said Ciel. "But as you can imagine, finding a century-old Reploid who intended to sleep for all of eternity while the government is trying to eliminate you is far from easy. No one knows where Zero rests. Actually, most people think he's just a legend. It's not easy convincing the rest of Resistance that searching for him isn't a waste of time."

"Just a legend, huh?" Iris closed her eyes. A strange sensation emanated from her core. It seemed to be telling her that Ciel's efforts were not in vain. Zero was real, he had to be! He was sleeping in some unknown place, but he was alive. She couldn't explain why she was so certain of that fact, but it resonated so strongly within her that she knew it had to be the truth.

"I believe in Zero," Iris stated as she reopened her eyes. "I'm sure you'll find him someday, Dr. Ciel. And I want to help you and the rest of the Resistance. I don't have any combat functions or anything else that really stands out, but I'm willing to provide support any way I can."

"I'm glad to hear that, Iris," Ciel said with a grateful smile. "With Neo Arcadia constantly breathing down our necks, we need all the help we can get."

"You can count on me!" Iris exclaimed.

* * *

**LunaClefairy: It's been a long while, but I decided to finally start publishing this fanfiction. I know I said in the preview that I would wait until the story was nearly finished, but that was before I tore down all my in-progress fics due to copyright infringement. So I figured it would be okay to start putting this up, and I hopefully won't have any more infringement problems. You will notice that this story differs from the preview I put up. Well, I came up with a completely different idea to use for a key plot point, so I had to alter some things.**

**I've got more than a half-dozen other chapters written (you can peek at snippets of some of them on my deviantART page), but I can tell this will be long and have slow updates. I'm also trying hard to develop Zero and Iris's relationship. As much as I adore love at first sight, it isn't very realistic, especially in the Mega Man Zero universe which is basically a post-apocalyptic world.**

**I have very high hopes for this fanfiction, and I hope all of you enjoy it, too!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Iris looked around her new room. It was in the same decrepit state as the rest of the Resistance base, but it was cozy and would suit her needs adequately. It contained a bed with white sheets for her to sleep on, a desk with a chair, and a small vanity. The metal door could be locked if she wanted privacy, and her desk and vanity contained several drawers to store things in.

"Is this room to your liking?" Ciel asked. "I'm sorry we can't provide anything better."

"This will do just fine, Dr. Ciel. Thank you," said Iris.

"I'll give you some time to get settled and explore the base. I'll find something for you to do tomorrow."

"Understood."

Once Ciel left, Iris decided to take the scientist's words to heart and explore her new home. She wandered around the many hallways, creating a mental map of the base as she did so. She ran into many Reploids, but found herself unable to squeak out anything more than a soft "hello" to them before slipping away. If a Reploid approached her, she would avoid eye contact and feel an urge to run or hide behind something. At first, she thought it was simply the result of trauma from the gun incident, but her database informed her that these reactions were the result of an emotion called "shyness".

Iris found her shyness frustrating. She knew she'd be seeing these Reploids a lot more in the days to come, so she shouldn't be trying to avoid them. Yet, she couldn't stop feeling the urge to escape whenever someone tried to talk to her. In spite of these difficulties, she was able to generate a basic understanding of the base's layout before the day was over.

When evening came, Iris retired to her room. She removed her beret and her hair tie and placed them on her vanity before lying down on her bed. The mattress was worn but comfortable, and Iris easily slipped into the relaxed state required for a proper shutdown. She closed her eyes, wondering what the future held.

She found herself standing in a completely black area. Where was she, and how did she get here? The endless black was broken only by a figure somewhere out the distance. Iris squinted and focused her optics as much as she could, but she couldn't make out anything about the figure. She stepped towards it, but no matter how far she walked, the distance between her and the figure remained the same.

"Is someone there? Who are you?" Iris called. She had the distinct impression that the figure turned toward her. A whisper of a voice tickled her ears, but she could not make out any words. She strained her auditory receptors to their limits, but she was still unable to decipher anything about the voice.

The figure turned away and slowly grew smaller. Iris shouted for it to wait and ran after it, but her efforts proved fruitless. She was left alone in the darkness.

Iris's eyes snapped open as she sat up. She realized she was back in her bed at the base.

"It must've been a dream," she muttered. As her processor sorted through her thoughts, she recalled that today was the official start of her new life as a Resistance Reploid. She climbed out of bed and stepped towards her vanity to pick up her beret and hair tie, but the sight of her reflection stopped her cold.

What in the world had happened to her hair? It stuck out all over the place and reminded her of a haystack. A quick search of her data archives confirmed that she had bed hair, and a bad case of it to boot. Feeling embarrassed, Iris quickly dug into the vanity's drawer and found a brush so she could tame the mess. Why did this happen now and not during the century she had spent inactive? Maybe the nature of her capsule helped, or maybe she moved around a lot in her sleep. Either way, she didn't want anyone else to see her hair like this. Once her hair was in a satisfactory condition, Iris replaced her beret and her hair tie and left to see Ciel. She found the scientist's lab with the help of her mental map and knocked on the door.

"Dr. Ciel? It's me, Iris."

There was no response. Iris waited a while before knocking and calling again. Finally, Passy's voice answered.

"You're the new girl, right? Ciel's not available now."

"Why not?" asked Iris.

"She's kind of…asleep."

"Asleep? But it's 10:00 AM!"

"This happens sometimes. She'll get so absorbed in her research that she loses track of time and eventually just passes out from exhaustion."

"But…she was supposed to assign me a job today!"

Passy sighed. "If you're that desperate for work, why don't you just go clean or something? There's a supply closet a bit further down the hall."

"Okay, I'll do just that. Thanks, Passy!"

Iris quickly found the supply closet in question. Inside were all sorts of old-fashioned cleaning supplies: a broom and dustpan, a bucket, a mop, soap, and so on. All of them looked like they'd never been touched. Iris guessed that she had a lot of work to do.

Iris took the broom and dustpan, brushing off the dirt and grime that had accumulated on them. She went to work sweeping the hall. After a few minutes, she got the hang of using the broom and was able to work more quickly. She soon created a large pile of dust and dirt, which she scooped up with the dustpan and disposed.

Iris repeated the process over and over throughout the hallway. It was menial and tedious, but it gave her purpose. Maybe it wasn't a real job, nor did it make a huge difference, but she was willing to bet the other Reploids would notice her work and appreciate it.

"Are you the new Reploid?" a small voice asked.

Iris turned around and spotted a female Reploid designed after a young girl. She had blond hair like Ciel, and she wore a pink sleeveless dress with yellow trim and brown metallic boots. She clutched a white cat plush in her arms as her big blue eyes focused on Iris.

"I am," Iris responded. The shyness she had felt around the other Reploids was absent. This little blond girl radiated innocence, enabling Iris to feel completely comfortable in her presence.

"Are you a maid?" the little girl asked.

Iris imagined herself wearing a frilly black and white maid outfit and blushed in embarrassment. "No, no, I'm not a maid. My name is Iris. Passy told me Dr. Ciel was sleeping and sent me off to clean until I'm assigned a real job."

"Sis must've been working really hard again…" the blond Reploid murmured.

"Huh? 'Sis'? But Dr. Ciel is a human."

"I know that. But she saved me from Neo Arcadia, and she gave me my name and this doll. She's just like a big sister to me, even if we aren't actually related."

Iris was surprised. Despite her appearance, the small Reploid was remarkably insightful. "What is your name?"

"I'm Alouette. It's nice to meet you, Iris. I'll see you later. I'm going to see how Ciel is doing."

"Why don't we go together?" Iris suggested. "I'm pretty much done sweeping this hall, after all."

Alouette readily agreed, and the two Reploid girls headed for Ciel's lab. Alouette opened the door without knocking, which confirmed that she and Ciel were close.

"Sis, where are you?" Alouette called as she entered the lab. "The maid Reploid Iris wants you to give her a real job!"

"Alouette! I told you I'm not a maid!" Iris cried.

"Alouette? What's this talk about a maid?" Ciel appeared and approached the two Reploids. The dark circles under her eyes indicated just how tired she was.

"This Reploid was cleaning the hallway. She says she's not a maid, but she must be one!" Alouette chirped. "After all, no one ever cleans around here."

Ciel gave the supposed maid a questioning look. "Iris?"

"I stopped by earlier, but Passy said you were asleep," Iris explained. "I didn't know what to do, so Passy told me to clean until you woke up."

"Oh, Passy…" Ciel sighed. "I'm sorry, Iris. I've just been so busy lately."

"It's okay. I didn't mind it too much," Iris responded. "So, did you think of a task I can fulfill?"

"Based on what you've told me and what I can gather from your design, you seem to be best suited for the medical staff," said Ciel. "That team is led by a Reploid named Rocinolle. She'll give you the ropes."

"All right. Thank you, Dr. Ciel."

Iris departed the lab with the intent to find Rocinolle. Simple deduction helped her determine that Rocinelle was most likely in the medical wing. She was about to head off when she felt a tug on her dress. Iris looked down and saw Alouette had gotten ahold of her clothes.

"What is it, Alouette?"

"You're going to be a medical Reploid, right? Is it okay if you do a job for me, too?"

There was no way Iris could say no to those adorable blue eyes, even if she wanted to. "What do you want me to do?"

"I'm worried about Ciel. She's been trying so hard to find Zero and she's tired all the time. I can't always be with her, so could you help look after her?"

Iris smiled. "It would be my pleasure, Alouette."

* * *

**LunaClefairy: Gaah. Alouette is so cute. It's hard to not love her. I really enjoyed the Rockman Zero audio drama, "Alouette's Good Day". It was really cute and funny and helped expand on things that happen around the Resistance base. In that drama, Alouette calls Ciel "Ciel onee-chan", or "big sister Ciel", which is why I'm having Alouette affectionately refer to Ciel as "Sis".**

**I'll be updating this fic once a week for now, but who knows when the nasty creature known as writer's block will strike me again. As of now, I've written up to Chapter 10, so you guys should be getting regular updates for a while at least. Most of these chapters are relatively short (between 1500 and 2000 words), but I hope you still enjoy them.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Iris nervously stood in front of the head medical Reploid. Rocinolle was slightly taller than Milan and wore a beige nurse outfit over her Resistance uniform. Her brown hair was tied up in a bun, and her head was topped with a nurse's hat.

"Ah, you must be the new girl, Iris," Rocinolle greeted warmly.

"Yes, ma'am," Iris replied. "Dr. Ciel said I could join the medical staff and told me to find you."

"Well, it's always nice to have a new member on board. So many Reploids come back injured from their missions, and sometimes we're completely overwhelmed."

"I'll do whatever I can to help," Iris assured.

Rocinolle went right to showing Iris how to perform basic Reploid medical procedures, including properly binding wounds, making slings and bandages, and performing some basic skeletal repairs. She also gave Iris tips on keeping a patient calm, which was essential during the more delicate procedures. If a Reploid started panicking while internal damage was being repaired, he or she could unintentionally cause further injury.

It was a lot to learn, and Iris's shyness didn't help matters. Rocinolle remained patient with her, however, and by the end of the day Iris had a pretty good grasp on her new duties. She bid Rocinolle farewell and prepared to retire to her room. A gnawing sensation emerged in her gut, informing her that she would have to replenish her energy supplies. She worked up her courage and asked another Reploid where she could find some E-crystals, and he happily directed her to the energy room. Once there, Iris ate just enough crystals to sate her hunger and gathered a few more to keep in her room for herself.

Before she shut down for the day, she decided to fulfill her promise to Alouette and check on Ciel. As she expected, the scientist was still hard at work trying to find Zero. Passy buzzed around Ciel's head in an attempt to dissuade her, but the Cyber Elf was ignored.

"Dr. Ciel, don't you think you should take a break?" asked Iris.

"I'm fine. I can keep going," Ciel insisted.

"You don't look fine to me. In fact, you look like you're about to drop dead," Iris noted. "Alouette's really worried about you, you know."

Ciel stopped typing and removed her visor. "It's true… I haven't been spending as much time with Alouette as I should."

"You should rest for tonight. I doubt she'd be happy to play with an exhausted older sister."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to stop for now. Okay, I'll go get some sleep."

Ciel got up from her computer and headed for her bedroom. Once she was out of sight, Passy stared wide-eyed at Iris.

"I'm amazed. She actually listened to you."

"I think it's more of a matter of her feeling bad about not paying attention to Alouette than anything," said Iris. "Although I probably could have put her into bed myself if I really had to."

"So, Alouette put you up to this task?" asked Passy.

"Yeah. I couldn't just say no to her. And she has a good reason to be worried. Humans aren't as durable as Reploids, and they can get ill if they're too tired or stressed."

"Very true. But knowing Ciel, it won't be long before she's back to overworking herself."

"Then I'll just have to keep an eye on her. It's getting late now, so I'll be heading to bed myself. I'll see you tomorrow, Passy."

"Good night, Iris."

The days passed by, and Iris remained true to her word. She kept a steady eye on Ciel's well-being while performing her duties as a medical Reploid. When she found that Ciel didn't always eat well, Iris taught herself how to cook and began serving Ciel her meals to ensure she ate. When Iris realized that all the dust and dirt lining the halls could be kicked up and form airborne particles harmful to both human and Reploid interiors, she made an effort to keep the halls and rooms clean in spite of occasional comments from Alouette about being a maid.

In the meantime, Iris slowly overcame her shyness and got to know some of the other Resistance members better. There was Andrew, a Reploid designed after an elderly man who loved to tell long-winded stories about his past. There was Cerveau, a weapons engineer who also helped Ciel with her research. Menart was a mischievous boy who loved playing tricks on Alouette despite both Rocinolle and Iris's scolding. The whole Resistance acted like one big family, and Iris felt like it was starting to become her family as well. She still found herself feeling shy whenever a new Reploid joined, but eventually she would welcome him or her in as well.

Two months after Iris's awakening, Ciel was practically working herself into the ground. At long last, she had found a lead to Zero's resting place, and she barely caught a wink of sleep. Alouette, Passy, and Iris had their hands full worrying about the Resistance's leader, but Ciel remained stubborn. Several times, the scientist passed out at her computer, and Iris would have to put her to bed. Hours later, Ciel would shriek about having fallen asleep on the job and rush right back to her computer with Passy hot on her heels.

One day during yet another of these occurrences, Iris brewed a mug of hot coffee for Ciel and brought it to her lab. As usual, the disheveled scientist was furiously typing at her computer. Passy hovered nearby trying to dissuade Ciel, but she was having none of it.

Iris approached the pair and set down the steaming mug, which Ciel grabbed and sipped from without taking her eyes off the monitor. She remained glued to her computer for several hours, only getting up when she had to relieve herself or ask Iris or Passy to do something for her. It seemed like she would pull yet another all-nighter, but at last, her frantic activity ceased.

"This is it."

"You found him?!" Iris leaned over Ciel's shoulder in order to read the data on the monitor. "An abandoned lab… Just like I was…"

"But that area is patrolled by golems!" Passy exclaimed.

"We'll be fine as long as we aren't spotted," said Ciel. "I'll set up a team to accompany me on this mission first thing tomorrow."

Iris nodded in understanding. "Okay―Wait, _what_?! Dr. Ciel, you can't possibly think of going! It's way too dangerous!"

"If Zero has remained undiscovered this long, the cyber security protecting him must be top of the line. I'm the only one here who would be able to hack through such a system."

Iris moaned. As usual, Ciel's logic won out. "You're right… But please, _please_ be careful."

"Don't worry, I will. Besides, Passy's coming to help, too." The Cyber Elf nodded, confirming Ciel's statement.

"All right…" Iris left Ciel in order to return to her room. It was getting late, and she would need to be fresh for another day of work. She climbed into bed and fell into an uneasy slumber, hoping that tomorrow's mission would go smoothly.

Iris awoke the next morning to find the whole base in an uproar. The rest of the Resistance was as adamant against Ciel going on the mission to find Zero as Iris was. Ciel stood firm and eventually convinced them all that this was their only option. Even so, they had only grudgingly allowed it, and an air of unease fell onto the Reploids as soon as Ciel, Passy, Milan, and the rest of the mission team departed the base.

The day went on as usual, but however the Resistance members tried to ignore it, Ciel's absence weighed heavily on all of them. Alouette in particular was beside herself in worry. Iris did her best to comfort the smaller Reploid, but she knew Alouette would never be appeased unless Ciel returned safely.

In the meantime, Iris still had plenty to do. She decided to make the most of Ciel's absence and give the scientist's lab the cleaning it desperately needed. With a broom, a mop, and a bucket of cleaning supplies in hand, she attacked the layers of dirt and grime that had built up in all the time Ciel had spent researching. After several hours of labor, Iris stood up straight and admired her work. She knew it would probably be several months before she saw the lab this clean again.

The sound of the lab's door opening drew Iris's attention. To her surprise and relief, Ciel had just entered the room.

"Dr. Ciel! You're back!" Iris exclaimed.

"Iris? What are you doing in here?" Ciel wondered.

"I just thought I'd tidy things up a bit," Iris replied. "But enough about me; how did the mission go? And where's Passy?"

Ciel's cobalt eyes transformed into oceans of sorrow, telling Iris everything she needed to know. She immediately regretted how casually she had asked her questions.

"Dr. Ciel… I―"

"It's all right. You didn't know," said Ciel. "We were discovered by the golems and Pantheons. Every Reploid on the team was slaughtered. While we did manage to find Zero, he was still deep in slumber and his body was badly damaged. With the Pantheons closing in, Passy voluntarily used her power to revive him."

"What about…Milan?"

"If you don't count Passy, he was the last to die. He gave his life to protect me."

Grief pooled in Iris's core. So many people she knew were now gone forever. Milan's death in particular hit her hard. He was one of the first people she befriended, and she never got to say good-bye to him. But she knew he and all the others gave their lives so the rest of them could have hope. Everything now rested with Zero.

"Where's Zero now?"

"He's exploring the base. He has hibernation sickness from being in stasis for so long, so he doesn't remember much of anything. I wanted to let him at least get familiar with his surroundings before asking anything major of him. He's done enough already protecting me."

Iris hummed thoughtfully, understanding exactly what Zero was going through. She remembered how lost she had felt after she was activated. It was thanks to Ciel and the Resistance Reploids that she was able to get herself together.

"I see. I should be heading back, now. It sounds like you had a rough time, so don't push yourself too far, okay?" With cleaning supplies in hand, Iris bid farewell to Ciel and exited the lab. The next job on her mental to-do list was the laundry. She did really want to meet Zero, but she didn't know exactly where he was in the base. Besides, it had been a while since the medical wing's bed sheets had been changed.

Iris quickly busied herself yanking the old sheets off the beds so they could be washed. The washing machines, like most of the things in the Resistance base, were run-down, but still functional. Before long, she was holding a large stack of dry, clean sheets in front of her. She hurried back to the medical wing, relying on memory thanks to her restricted visibility. She turned a corner into the hall where her destination was at and―

"OOF!"

The next thing she knew, she was on the floor buried in the sheets she had been carrying. She slowly sat back up and massaged her sore areas as her processor whirred in an effort to figure out what had just happened. She felt like she had just walked into a wall, except that she knew there wasn't supposed to be a wall here. After recovering, she opened her mouth in order to apologize for her carelessness, but the words died in her throat as her as she made eye contact with the unfortunate victim of this little incident.

A Reploid unlike any she had seen before was sitting in front of her in much the same position she was in. His primarily black body was protected by crimson and gold armor, including a vest, gauntlets, and boots. A waterfall of blond hair spilled out of the back of his finned helmet and onto the floor like liquid sunshine. His most striking feature, however, was his eyes. Iris felt like she could dive forever into those two sapphire oceans and yet never reach the bottom.

The two Reploids sat there staring at each other for what felt like an eternity, neither one moving or even blinking. At last, Iris's processor resumed functions and two coherent thoughts formed in her head.

The Reploid in front of her was none other than the legendary Maverick Hunter Zero. And she had just crashed into him like a complete idiot.

"Oh-oh my goodness!" she squeaked as she leapt to her feet. "I am so, so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going and I… I… I'm sorry! You're not hurt, are you?"

Zero stood up, causing some of the sheets that had fallen on him to drop to the floor. Iris stared at her feet and wrung her hands as she felt his intense gaze on her.

"I'm fine," he said. "What were you doing carrying all those sheets?"

"W-well, um… The med room's bedding hasn't been changed in a couple of months, so I was just bringing clean sheets."

Iris mentally slapped herself. Why did she always have to be so shy around strangers? Zero probably already thought she was a dunce for crashing into him like that, and her stammering wasn't helping his first impression of her.

"A-anyways," she continued, forcing herself to make eye contact again. "I'm really sorry for bumping into you, sir. I'd better get back to work."

She bent over and dug through the sheets for a bit before finding her beret, which had fallen off due to the collision. She donned the headwear before quickly folding the sheets and gathering them into her arms. Nearby, she witnessed Zero doing the same thing.

"Sir, you don't have to bother! I've got it handled!" she insisted.

"You shouldn't be carrying around so much that you can't see," Zero chided. Iris shrank a little, but seeing that he wasn't changing his mind, made no further protests. She led Zero to the medical wing, where he helped her make the beds. A few Reploids witnessing this whispered to each other, which only exacerbated Iris's discomfort. She couldn't help but think how weird it was to have Zero doing _housework_. It was unbecoming for someone like him! Still, he had insisted.

"Thanks for the help," Iris said after they finished. "I'll try not to go so overboard with the laundry next time. Um… It's getting late, so I'm going to head back to my room now."

"Wait."

Iris stopped in her tracks and turned around to face Zero again. "What is it?"

"You never told me your name."

Iris's face flushed. "Oh, right, sorry. My name is Iris. Nice to meet you."

"Iris…? I feel like I've heard that name before."

"Huh?! Really? W-well, I'm sure it's just a coincidence, sir. I was only activated two months ago, after all."

Zero's expression turned serious. "Stop that."

"Stop…what, sir?"

"Stop calling me 'sir'. Coming from you, it sounds…strange. Just 'Zero' is fine. Ciel insists that's who I am, after all."

"O-okay then," Iris stammered. "I'll…see you tomorrow, I guess. Good night, Zero." She strolled towards her room, feeling Zero's gaze on her back until she was out of his line of sight. Once at her destination, she removed her hair tie and her beret before collapsing on her bed and sighing heavily. It was only at this point that she realized her core was running about twenty percent faster than usual and that her internal temperature had increased a full half-degree. Puzzled at these changes, she began running self-diagnostics to determine their cause.

Iris's face twisted in confusion at the results. These changes in her body had started when she had been around Zero, and they were even more intense at the time. Perhaps it was due to her nervousness and embarrassment from making a fool of herself in front of the Maverick Hunter. Zero was leagues above the Reploids she was used to seeing, after all. Satisfied with her conclusion, she activated her shutdown sequence. Tomorrow was going to be another busy day.

* * *

**LunaClefairy: If you read my preview, then you'll recognize the second half of this chapter. I've tweaked it a bit since then, but it's otherwise mostly the same. I do hope I didn't screw up the pacing here… But yeah, Zero has finally arrived! You can expect all sorts of craziness to start happening, courtesy of my insane mind. I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**One more thing. I'm aware that Zero technically isn't a Reploid, but since no one in the story knows that (not even Zero himself thanks to his amnesia), it's easier to refer to him as one.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, Iris performed her usual routine. She brushed her long brown hair and tied it up in its signature low ponytail before she placed her beret back on her head. She allowed herself to eat a few E-crystals from her dwindling supply to get her through the day.

The first thing on her mental to-do list was get Ciel her breakfast. The base was equipped with its own kitchen, but scarce food supplies meant that Reploids would occasionally have to be sent on missions just to replenish the larder. Iris sometimes wondered how Ciel could function on a diet of Spam, coffee, and whatever other non-perishables that were scavenged. Ciel was a hardy one; that was certain.

The kitchen was one of Iris's favorite places in the Resistance base, as she loved cooking. It was in a sorry state, but it was clean and everything still functioned. Iris's heels clacked on the tile floor as she rummaged through the cabinets. She frowned at the meager supplies and made a mental note to tell Ciel about it. Iris placed her chosen ingredients on the kitchen counter and retrieved a chipped frying pan from another cupboard.

She splashed cooking oil into the pan and allowed it to heat up on the stove. In the meantime, she grabbed two slices of slightly stale bread and popped them in the toaster. The aged coffee machine gargled as it expelled hot coffee at the exact time it was programmed to do so. Iris opened the can of Spam and sliced the block of meat before dropping each slice into the hot pan. She hummed a nameless tune to go along with the familiar sizzling of cooking food. Once her song was finished, an expert flick of the wrist sent the food soaring into the air, only to for it land neatly back in the pan on the uncooked side. Iris hummed the song once more before turning off the oven's flame and dumping the Spam onto a clean plate.

Right on cue, the toast burst out of the toaster, colored a perfect golden brown. In one smooth movement, Iris snatched the toast and twirled around elegantly before placing it next to the Spam. She retrieved a mug and poured the freshly-brewed coffee into it, and then placed the completed breakfast onto a tray.

Iris quickly but carefully carried the tray to Ciel's lab, greeting each Resistance member that passed by along the way. Upon reaching the lab's door, she politely knocked and declared that she had brought breakfast. Ciel allowed Iris to enter and warmly greeted the female Reploid.

"Good morning, Iris."

"Good morning, Dr. Ciel." Iris approached the scientist and placed the tray on the latter's desk. "It's just the usual, today. We're running low on food again."

Ciel's face fell. "Oh, is that so…? Maybe I should start skipping meals…"

"What?! No! Don't even think about doing such a thing!" Iris scolded. "You, more than anyone else, need to keep your strength up! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't even have gotten this far!"

At that moment, the door to Ciel's lab opened. Iris turned around so quickly that she nearly gave herself whiplash. Who dared to barge into Ciel's lab without even knocking?

All of Iris's anger dissolved instantly as soon as she saw that the intruder was Zero. Her mouth hung open in shock, having gone slack after being unable to form the chastising phrase she had planned to say. Her mind went as blank as a clean chalkboard, and despite her efforts she couldn't make a single mark on it.

"Good morning, Zero," Ciel greeted.

Iris's processor finally resumed functions, enabling her to snap out of her daze. "Z-Zero! Um… Good morning."

"Good morning," said Zero.

Iris fidgeted uncomfortably. She couldn't believe that she almost yelled at Zero, only to end up like a deer in headlights at his presence.

"Um, I'm assuming you're here on business, so…I'll just come back for the dishes later."

"Iris, it's not like this is confidential information," Ciel remarked before turning back to Zero. "Don't mind her. She's shy around new people."

"I noticed."

The statement amplified Iris's blush, but the female Reploid made no comment. Ciel took the silence as a cue to continue. Iris barely heard what the scientist said since she was too busy chastising herself for once again acting like an idiot in front of Zero. Once the mission objective was stated, however, Iris remembered something vital.

"Dr. Ciel, you should at least eat your breakfast before you start any missions. We can't have you passing out from hunger on the job."

Now it was Ciel's turn to blush. "Oops. I forgot about that."

Iris sighed good-naturedly. Ciel was being Ciel again. Zero snorted in amusement, which surprised Iris until she remembered that he didn't know about Ciel's habits.

"While I'm eating, Zero, I need you to set your helmet communicator to the base's frequency so I can stay in contact with you on your missions," Ciel added. "The channel is WRMZ 200.2. When I'm done eating, I'll send a transmission to test the connection."

Zero voiced his understanding and exited the lab. Iris excused herself and hurriedly followed suit, her face still stained red with embarrassment. Her blush refused to completely fade, even as she continued her morning chores.

When Iris brought Ciel breakfast that morning, it had somehow never occurred to her that Zero might stop by as well. After all, Ciel was the one who found Zero and was the person in charge of this whole operation, so it was only natural that Zero would want to see her. And the instant he appeared, Iris had turned into a flustered, stammering mess.

Why, oh why did she have to be so shy? She really wanted to get to know Zero, but if she kept falling to pieces whenever he was so much as in the same room as her, it wasn't going to happen. She sighed once again, cursing her creator for not fixing that flaw in her personality program.

"What's wrong, Iris?" Alouette asked.

"It's nothing important. I'm just a little tired," Iris replied.

"It has to do with Zero, doesn't it?"

"Huh?! How did you―"

"You always act like this when someone new arrives."

Iris moaned, feeling foolish. _Everyone _knew about that.

"But today you're worse than ever," Alouette noted. "It's almost like you're scared of Zero."

Iris couldn't deny that. Zero was definitely intimidating, and if the claims about his strength were true, he could easily wipe the Resistance out if he ever chose to turn on them. But there was something else about him, something that she couldn't identify that seemed to cause her processor to malfunction.

"I don't really know what it is, Alouette," Iris admitted. "I just wish I could be myself around him."

"Give it some time. I'm sure you two will get along just fine!"

Iris smiled weakly and thanked Alouette. She patted the smaller Reploid on the head and left in order to get her cleaning supplies from the supply closet. She thought about what Alouette said and sincerely hoped the child was right.

The day seemed to drag on as Iris performed her usual sweep of the halls. She wondered how Zero was doing on his mission. It was doubtful that Neo Arcadia would let him interfere with their plans without putting up a fight, but Zero _was_ a legendary Maverick Hunter. Still, she was worried. If he failed, the Resistance was as good as finished.

The female Reploid scanned the hall and decided to call it a day. She returned to the broom closet in order to put away her supplies. As she did so, she heard footsteps that quickly increased in volume.

"Iris!"

Iris closed the supply closet door and focused her attention on the medical Reploid who had addressed her. "What is it?"

"You won't believe this! Zero not only shut down the Disposal Facility, but also trashed one of the highest-ranking members of Sage Harpuia's forces!"

Iris was surprised to find herself…not surprised. Even so, she gave the response her coworker was undoubtedly expecting. "Wow!"

"He didn't come back completely unscathed, though. His injuries are minor, but…" the medical Reploid trailed off and covered her mouth.

"W-what is it? What's wrong with Zero?" Iris asked.

"You should go and see for yourself. He's in the medical wing right now. But he… *snort* He's in quite a state."

Iris was off like a shot. She didn't know what had happened to Zero, but it sounded pretty serious. But why did that medical Reploid look like she was…laughing? Iris failed to find the humor in what might be a real emergency.

Minutes later, Iris burst into the medical wing. "Zero! I came as fast as I cou―"

Her sentence died as soon as she laid eyes on the Maverick Hunter, who was sitting on one of the beds. Suddenly, the medical Reploid's statements and actions made a lot more sense.

Every strand of Zero's golden hair was frizzed and spiked up. It went this way and that, looking very much like a long-furred cat that had been stroked with a wire brush too many times. A mixture of disdain and embarrassment was plastered all over Zero's face, and his eyes warned, "I DARE you to laugh."

Iris covered her mouth with both of her hands and tried to focus on Zero's face and not the monstrosity attached to his head. "Zero! What―mmph―happened―*snort*―to you?!"

"It's not funny!" he growled, a dusting of pink coating his cheeks. "You'd look like this too if you were on the receiving end of 100,000 volts!"

Oh. Well, that explained a lot. Electric shocks were definitely not fun things to experience, and in this case Zero's hair had retained a significant amount of charge from the jolt, which resulted in the mother of all bad hair days. Even so, try as she might, it was impossible for Iris to completely stifle her snickers.

"S-sorry! Sorry! I c-can't help it! It's just so―*snort* Heheh, s-sorry! I'm sorry! W-wait here a moment; I'll be right b-back!" Iris hurried out of the medical wing, dashed through the halls, and leapt onto her bed, where she promptly released all of her pent-up laughter. She felt bad for laughing at Zero, but it was just too funny!

When she got all of the giggles out of her system, she retrieved a brush and a small spray bottle from her room and returned to Zero. More laughter threatened to burst forth as she approached him, but for his sake she held it back as best she could. She pulled up a chair and asked Zero to sit in it.

"What's that for?" Zero asked, eying the spray bottle.

"It's just water. I'll never be able to tame this mess without wetting it down a little. Oh, and I'll need you to take off your helmet; it's probably a rat's nest in there."

Zero reluctantly did as instructed. As soon as the helmet came off, his bangs sprang up like blades of grass, joining the rest of his hair in spiky, frizzy chaos. Another peel of laughter threatened to exit Iris's mouth, but she fought it down. This was worse than she thought.

She stood behind Zero and began wetting his hair down with a gentle mist. Then she worked her way through the tangles and frizz. Zero stiffened when Iris had to tug through the more stubborn knots, but he otherwise stayed still and quiet.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Well, I _am_ part of the medical staff. And right now, you're my patient, even though the problem is unconventional," Iris explained. "You know, all this frizz aside, your hair is in surprisingly good condition despite being neglected for so long. It's really soft and shiny. I'm a little jealous, actually."

"Why?"

"My hair fights with me every step of the way. I have to take really good care of it, or else it'll look kind of like yours does right now."

"Mmmm." Both Reploids were silent for several seconds. "You seem much more relaxed now, Iris."

Iris paused her brushing. She hadn't even realized that her earlier shyness had vanished completely. She was surprised at just how comfortable she felt in Zero's presence. It felt almost natural.

"Yes… I am." She resumed brushing Zero's hair. "Kind of funny, actually… When I first joined the Resistance, I clammed up and stayed away from everyone except Dr. Ciel, Alouette, and the team that found me."

"'Found'?"

"I was like you, left in an abandoned lab for many years. The difference is that I was never activated until the Resistance found me. I don't know why my creator chose to seal me away. The only hint I have is a message saying that she wanted me to be happy and help the world find true peace. I don't know how I'm supposed to do that; there's nothing special about me."

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Zero.

"Huh?"

"If you were an ordinary Reploid, there would have been no reason to not activate you immediately. I'd be willing to bet you have a function or two that you haven't discovered yet."

Iris was doubtful, but she appreciated the kind words. "Thanks, Zero."

The two continued to exchange small talk as Iris continued brushing. It took her nearly fifteen minutes to smooth out every lock of hair, but it was time well spent. When she finished, Zero looked like he had never been shocked in the first place. The red Reploid thanked Iris for her help, although she had to fight back another giggle when the image of Zero's frizzed-out hair popped into her head again. Afterwards, they went their separate ways. As Iris strolled through the halls, she couldn't help but wonder why she had gotten so comfortable with Zero so quickly. The entire hair incident certainly helped, but it was still strange that she would open up to him like that when she was notoriously shy. There was definitely something special about that Reploid, and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was a legendary Maverick Hunter.

* * *

**LunaClefairy: In case you were unaware, I am exceptionally evil to the characters in my fanfictions. I tend to put them in all sorts of weird and awkward situations. This particular chapter resulted from watching many Pokémon episodes where a character's hair turned into an afro or a spiky mess after being zapped with an electric attack. Since Aztec Falcon (the boss of the Disposal Facility) uses electric attacks and Zero has such long hair, I just couldn't resist. A couple of you may recognize the hair part, as I had posted it up as a one-shot for a while on here, but I took it down after I started publishing the full story.**

**And the abuse won't end here, oh no. There's plenty more craziness in the chapters to come. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Zero quickly became the most instrumental member of the Resistance. Every mission Ciel sent him on was successful, and Iris could see hope restoring in her fellow Reploids' eyes. Iris herself kept busy with her own work. There was more to do than ever now that the Resistance finally had a fighting chance. As a result, she rarely got to see Zero, and even then their meetings were brief.

Iris's increased workload had another undesirable effect: she felt stronger, more frequent pangs of artificial hunger. The feeling was programmed into Reploids to give them a more humanlike alert when they needed to replenish energy. For Iris, however, it was an annoyance that she could live without.

Reluctantly, she increased her daily energy quota, but even that wasn't enough to satiate her for a full day. By midafternoon, that familiar gnawing feeling in her stomach would appear, vicious as a snarling beast. As the hours dragged on, the beast would grow ever more ferocious, clawing at her insides in a desperate attempt to be released. Iris always ignored the creature and put on a brave face. The problems the Resistance faced every day were far more important than her hunger.

"That should do it!" Iris chirped as she finished tying a makeshift sling. "Make sure to get plenty of rest so it heals properly."

"Thanks, Iris," said the Resistance Reploid.

"No problem," she replied with her usual smile. In truth, she was exhausted, but it was also the end of her shift, and that meant it was nearly time for her to retire to her room.

"Iris!"

Iris tried to cull her annoyance as she turned toward the Resistance member who addressed her. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to bother you since it's the end of your shift, but we've got a bunch of injured that just returned from a mission, and we could really use your help!"

"Oh, is that so? I'll be right there!"

Iris followed her comrade to where the injured Reploids were. As she raced through the med room, her vision briefly went out of focus. She blinked rapidly and shook her head to restore her sight just in time to see her patients. There were ten of them total, all with minor to moderate injuries. One of them was missing a hand―he would have to stay in the medical wing until Cerveau could build him a new one.

Iris went to work immediately, bandaging the buster shot wounds and supporting broken limbs with slings. Several times, her vision became unfocused, but she ignored it and continued her work. She was nearly finished with the eighth patient when she was suddenly overcome with a bought of dizziness. She stumbled and held her head in an effort to regain her senses.

"Iris? Are you okay?" The voice of her comrade sounded like it was coming through a long tunnel.

"I'm fine," she responded, but no sooner had she said that when her legs gave way and her sight briefly went black. She heard several Reploids shout her name in worry, and she was once again asked if she was all right. She stubbornly gave the same response, even though it was clear that she was definitely _not _all right. Her processor alerted her to the fact that her energy was at a critically low level and that nearly all motor functions were disabled as a result.

"Iris. When was the last time you ate?" asked Rocinolle.

"This morning," was the weak response.

"And how much did you eat?"

"Three E-crystals."

"That's it?! It's a wonder you didn't collapse hours ago! You! Get the girl some E-crystals! I'll take her to a bed! The rest of you, finish tending to the injured!"

Iris felt her limp body get scooped up and carried. Her vision was too blurry to see exactly where she was going, but she assumed she was still in the medical wing. A moment later, she was laid on a bed. She saw humanoid shapes scurrying around franticly. Her mouth was forced open and several E-crystals were shoved inside. Fortunately, she could still move her mouth, enabling her to chew and swallow the crystalized energy. Almost immediately after the crystals entered her body, they began recharging her energy stores. Within moments, she regained enough power to move.

"Don't scare us like that! What were you thinking?!" Rocinolle scolded.

"I'm sorry, Rocinolle. I thought I could I handle it."

"Iris, we appreciate all of the work you do, but you can't neglect your own health. Even in this energy crisis, surviving on the bare minimum isn't an option, especially for a medical Reploid like you."

Iris was silent. She knew that nothing she said would change her boss's mind. However, Rocinolle wasn't about to change Iris's mind easily, either. She had gotten along just fine on her meager energy supplies up to this point, and she was sure she could continue doing so as long as she wasn't called for overtime again.

Rocinolle ushered Iris to her room and urged her to eat more E-crystals after her near-shutdown. She reluctantly complied, although a part of her was happy to be rid of those annoying hunger pangs for a while. After Rocinolle left, Iris lied on her bed while trying to think of a way to better manage her energy in case she was called for overtime again. She was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in," she beckoned in a bored tone. The door opened, revealing the visitor. Iris jolted upright. "Z-Zero? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you," Zero replied.

"Oh. Um, have a seat then." Zero sat beside Iris on her bed. The female Reploid gave him a questioning look. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I want to know why you spend so much of your time working," Zero responded.

"It's not just me. Everyone's been busier since you showed up, Zero."

"That's not what I meant and you know it. I heard your energy levels dropped so low that you nearly shut down on the spot."

Iris winced. News traveled fast. "You found out about that, huh…?"

"Why are you pushing yourself so hard?" Zero asked. "You're going to run into serious problems if you keep this up."

"Well, I…" Iris stared at her lap as she thought of how to answer. "You know how I'm a support Reploid, right? I don't want anyone to think I'm not doing my part just because I'm not going out on missions."

"You won't be of any use at all if you shut down. If you insist on working, you should at least eat more to keep your strength up."

This again? Iris had already heard this lecture once, and she was in no mood for a repeat performance.

"Zero, you know as well as I do that E-crystals are scarce," she huffed. "Besides, the others need them more than me."

Annoyance flickered in Zero's eyes. "You blockhead."

"B-blockhead?!" Iris screeched. "Excuse me?!"

"You're no better than Ciel when it comes to looking after yourself," Zero clarified.

"Th-that's not the same thing! And I am not a blockhead!" Iris protested. Zero scoffed at her argument and stood up. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?!"

"To a place where I don't have to hear you make lame excuses for yourself."

"What?! Hey!" Iris leapt to her feet, but Zero was already gone. The female Reploid clenched her teeth and growled. She couldn't believe Zero had the nerve to visit just to scold her. What she did with her life was none of his business! And how _dare_ he call her a blockhead! Iris had half a mind to chase him just to chew him out, but it wasn't worth it.

She couldn't remember the last time she had been so angry. Heck, she didn't think she had _ever _been this angry. In a way, it was almost refreshing. She discarded that thought almost as soon as it reached her head; Zero wasn't going to get any special treatment just because he was the first person to actually piss her off.

"Zero, you jerk!" Iris yelled. A loud clang rang out as the toe of her shoe collided with her bedpost. When she finished taking out her frustration, she noticed two things. First, her bedpost was now dented. Second, there was a small sack on her bed that definitely hadn't been there earlier. She curiously opened the sack and was astonished to discover that it was filled with E-crystals. But how did the sack get in her room without her noticing, and who left it?

"Zero." It only took a second for the answer to unconsciously leave her lips. The little sneak! He must've slipped it onto her bed sometime after he sat down. If he thought she was going to accept this gift without a problem, he had another thing coming. She wasn't going to forgive him that easily.

"You're still a jerk, you know that?" she grumbled. But even she had to admit he was a nice jerk.

The next morning, Iris was shocked to see many of the Resistance Reploids cheering and in high spirits. When she asked why, they told her that Zero had reclaimed a factory that was practically bursting with E-crystals. They wouldn't have to worry about energy supplies again for a long time.

Iris assumed that the E-crystals Zero had given her came from the factory. The good news was that she no longer had to practically starve herself. She'd be able to get more work done without worrying about collapsing again. Of course, this also meant she owed Zero, but that jerk didn't deserve any of her praise after he called her a blockhead. At least now that the E-crystal issue was over, she wouldn't have to worry about him butting into her business again. Iris assumed that she would fall into the back of Zero's mind before long and they would go back to being mere acquaintances.

She couldn't have known that with this one incident, she had sealed her own fate.

* * *

**LunaClefairy: This is the chapter where things start taking a drastic turn from how I originally intended the story to go. When I first conceived **_**To Bloom Again**_**, I planned for Iris and Zero to get along for the most part, with the main obstacle interfering in their relationship being Iris's shyness. I decided that while that was cute, it would be more interesting and realistic for them to have a few fights. Thus, this chapter was born. Problem is, after I wrote it, the story said, "Screw this plotline, Zero's gonna start pissing Iris off on a regular basis and she's gonna hate his guts." I don't know how it happened, but the chapters I wrote after this one all went in that direction. Since I learned in Creative Writing that you have to grow your plot naturally and not force it to go somewhere, I went along with it. It probably wasn't what you guys were expecting (it certainly wasn't what **_**I**_** was expecting), but I hope you still enjoy what I have in store.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

In the days following her near-shutdown, Iris resumed a normal routine. Thanks to the new supply of E-crystals, she no longer had to worry about hunger. It was business as usual, except for one thing: she did everything she could to avoid Zero.

It all started the morning after her accident. Ciel was eating breakfast under Iris's watchful eye when Zero entered the lab. Ciel greeted him warmly, but Iris pretended he wasn't there.

"Iris? Is something wrong?" asked Ciel. Iris turned away and humphed, ignoring Zero and Ciel's confused stares. "Maybe you should―"

"I'm fine. I've eaten more than enough E-crystals," Iris interjected coldly. "You can even ask Rocinolle."

She refused to speak any more, so Ciel and Zero gave up and discussed the day's mission. Iris tuned them out. Nothing they said involved her, and she didn't want to hear Zero's voice. After a few minutes, Ciel sent Zero on his way and addressed Iris. "What's gotten into you? Did you and Zero have a fight or something?"

Iris made a small disgruntled noise. Evidently, Ciel took that as a yes. "This isn't like you, Iris. I don't know what you fought over, but it can't have been that big a deal. You should go apologize once he gets back."

"_He_ should be the one apologizing to _me_," snarled Iris. "He _insulted_ me."

"Now I know you're blowing this out of proportion," Ciel sighed. "Zero may be a bit…blunt, but he wouldn't insult anyone."

"So 'blockhead' isn't an insult in your book?" Iris asked scathingly.

Ciel looked thunderstruck. "Zero would never―"

"Oh, so you're taking his side? Fine. Just fine. Forget I said anything." Iris snatched the tray of dirty dishes, nearly spilling everything in her rush to get out. Her eyes were burning. It wasn't fair; she had been around the base for far longer than Zero had, and yet Ciel trusted him more. Just because he was a hero in the past and was currently turning the tide in the war against Neo Arcadian didn't mean he couldn't be a jerk.

Iris dumped the dishes in the kitchen sink and washed them with so much force that they nearly broke. She knew she was probably overreacting, but Ciel had chosen Zero's word over hers, and that stung. Iris pulled a plate out of the soapy water and dried it with a towel. It was shiny enough for her to see her reflection, which stared scornfully back at her. With a sigh, she put it away and moved on to the rest of the dishes.

Iris put up a cheerful façade as she moved on to the day's cleaning, but she couldn't stop herself from sweeping more forcefully than usual. The dirt made an excellent target for her frustration, and she felt better with every sweep. Passing Reploids gave her a wide berth so they wouldn't be showered with runaway dust bunnies. By the time she finished, Iris had calmed down and was ready for her medical shift.

It was a slow day in the medical wing patient-wise, but Iris still had her hands full with cleaning tools, rolling bandages, and other minor tasks. Rocinolle repeatedly checked to make sure Iris was doing okay, which was annoying, but not surprising. Iris relished the peace she had been granted aside from Rocinolle's interruptions, because she knew it was fleeting.

A commotion from outside the medical wing marked the end of the peace and quiet. Zero had returned from his mission, and the usual discussion over who would get to treat his injuries had begun. Everyone knew it was pointless since Rocinolle had the final say in the decision, but they all had fun sizing each other up and determining who was most worthy to repair the ex-Maverick Hunter.

Rocinolle scurried out to calm the crowd, and a few moments later returned with Zero and the lucky Reploid chosen to repair him. Iris replaced the bandages on her current patient as the air filled with the nervous stammering of her coworker. It was hard to not roll her eyes at how silly the other medical Reploids acted. Zero had been here for more than a week, and they still treated him like he was some higher being. Rocinolle repeatedly reminded them that "all patients must be treated equal", but it wasn't sinking in as far as Zero was concerned.

Iris got the sensation of being marked with a laser sighting and knew that Zero was staring at her. She ignored him. Until he decided to apologize for his insult, she had no interest in talking to him. The laser sighting did not leave her back until Zero was ushered out of the room. The Reploid who had been treating him noticed this as well.

"Zero was staring at you the whole time," she said. "You're so lucky! I wish a guy stared at me like that…"

"What?!" Iris squawked. "D-don't say such stupid things!"

"But it's clear that Zero's interested in you," the Reploid pressed. "You really ought to take advantage of it. Gosh, if I had a boyfriend that hot, and a legendary Maverick Hunter to boot, I'd―"

"ENOUGH!" The outburst caused every head in the room to turn in Iris's direction. Seeing all of the staring eyes, she blushed and continued in a less hysterical voice. "If you're wondering why Zero was staring at me, it's because he clearly hasn't figured out that I don't appreciate being insulted. Nothing more."

She finished the remainder of her shift in silence. Everyone else gave her a little space to avoid any more emotional outbursts. She enjoyed the rest of the evening in peace, but her Zero troubles were far from over.

Although Ciel apologized for upsetting Iris with her words, Zero did not. Worse yet, the ex-Maverick Hunter had a new hobby: The Stare at Iris and See How Long It Takes Her to Crack Game. The first time this happened was when Iris was sweeping the day's set of hallways. She felt the familiar laser sighting on her back, and sure enough, Zero was peering at her from around a corner. Iris gave him the cold shoulder, assuming he would get bored sooner or later.

She was wrong. Every day after that, Zero dropped in uninvited while Iris was busy working. He never said a word, but he always made sure she knew he was there. It became a test of patience to see who would give up first, and Iris was losing. She tried everything she could think of to shake off Zero: switching up the days she cleaned particular halls, concealing her identity, even working a different medical shift. Every single one of her ideas failed. After two weeks of trying to avoid him, she finally got fed up.

"Don't you have something better to do than stalk me?!" she snapped.

"It's about time you talked," Zero responded.

"Gah, you're impossible!" Iris nearly snapped her broom in her fury. She took a deep breath to calm herself. It was possible that Zero was trying to apologize to her but had gone about it the wrong way. Hoping for the best, she asked, "Are you finally going to apologize for insulting me?"

"I noticed you're always working," said Zero. "Don't you ever take a break?"

"Of course I do," Iris replied, barely managing to remain civil. "It's just things have been so busy around here that I haven't had a chance. Now, go away! I'm sure Dr. Ciel has a new mission for you by now."

Zero's gaze hardened, but Iris glared right back at him. After several seconds, Zero closed his eyes and sighed. "Blockhead."

_SNAP!_

The broom now lay in two pieces, one gripped in each of Iris's trembling hands. "You… Once wasn't enough for you? You had to insult my intelligence again?"

"It's the truth," Zero said simply. "Your head's as thick and hard as a block."

"Shut up! Stop making fun of me!" screeched Iris. Zero snorted in amusement before turning to leave. But Iris wasn't finished. "Everyone thinks you're so amazing, but I see you for who you really are! You're nothing but a coldhearted, stalking jerk! I HATE YOU!"

She stormed out of the hallway, hurled the broken broom into the trash, and stomped towards the cellar. Right now felt like the perfect time to get a drink. She could bury her frustration under the haze of ethanol for a while.

"Oh, Iris!" exclaimed the cellar guard. "This is a rare sight."

"Gimme some E85," Iris growled.

"E-E85? But Iris―"

"Just hand it over!" she snapped.

"Y-yes ma'am. Right away."

The frightened guard disappeared into the cellar, and Iris impatiently tapped her foot as she waited for him to return. When he remerged, he was carrying a two liter canister of the requested beverage. Iris snatched it from his hands and grumbled a "thanks" before taking it with her to her room.

E85. It was a fuel humans used in the twenty-first century to power their vehicles. It consisted of eighty-five percent corn-based ethanol and fifteen percent hydrocarbons by volume. While extremely inefficient by today's standards, Reploids loved the taste and the way the ethanol gave them a "buzz" like alcoholic drinks did to humans, so they found as much of the stuff as they could and stored it in containers to drink. Other outdated fuels like gasoline were used for the same purpose, although they were rare and hard to find.

Iris cracked open the canister and took a swig, enjoying the sweet and sharp flavor of the fermented corn. She winced at the burning sensation it gave her, but she was too irritable to care about it. Her body was already beginning to process the E85, and she knew its effects would settle in before long.

And settle in they did. Within a few minutes, Iris's eyelids drooped as she grew more relaxed and carefree. Her vision turned fuzzy and she giggled at the bubbly feeling inside her. This was more like it. No need to think about that stupid, stalking Zero.

She drank more of the substance even though she knew she was already past her limit. She wanted to forget all about what the red Reploid had done to her. However, no matter how much she drank, her anger and her memory would not disperse. Before long the canister was empty, and Iris didn't feel that much better.

"Dat jerk…" she slurred. "He'sh gonna pay fer callin' me a blockhea'. The nexsht time I shee him, I'ma gonna give him a peash o' my min'."

Her intoxicated mind could think of only one way to try to improve her mood: more booze. She stumbled out of her room, using the walls to support her swaying body. Reploids stared at her as she passed by, and she giggled and greeted every one of them. If the Reploid was male, she would smile and give him a flirtatious wink. A few of them got alarmed looks and ran off somewhere.

Iris wondered why they ran away. She was only getting some more booze. It wasn't like she was a Pantheon or something. She walked a bit further before her unsteady legs gave way, and she fell to the floor.

"Oopshie, I fell dow'," she giggled. She tried to push herself back up, but overcorrected and fell onto her back. She laughed again. This was fun! Still, she knew she would have to get up eventually. Once the buzz wore off, the fun would end. She had to get back to the cellar and get more of the E85 before that happened.

Iris slowly got to her feet, though her legs still wobbled. She was about to continue on her way when she felt two hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, who'sh dere?" she asked as looked behind her. Much to her annoyance, she saw that it was Zero. "What're ya doin', ya jerk? Lemme go!"

Zero forced Iris to turn around and face him. "Iris. You're drunk."

"An' who'sh fault d'ya think that ish?" the plastered Reploid snapped. "You pisshed me off, sho I drank shome E85. And it wash gooooooood!"

"E85? How much did you drink?!"

"A whooooooooole can. But it washn't enough, sho I'm gettin' sh'more."

"Ohhh, no. The last thing you need is more ethanol."

"It'sh exshactly what I need! An' I need it now more'n ever, 'caushe yer shtarting to pissh me off again!" Iris tried to shove Zero away, but he was too strong for her.

"You're not going anywhere until you sober up," he said firmly.

"Not even if I do thish?" Iris reached down and began lifting her skirt. Zero's face turned slightly pink as he averted his eyes.

"That's not gonna work!" he shouted.

"Not even a li'l peek?"

"No! Put your skirt down! You're only hurting your own dignity!"

"Argh, I can't believe you!" Iris yelled. "You shtalk me an' call me namesh an' don' let me have what I wan'! Even when I'm not workin', yer a total pain! Ya know what, yer not even worthy 'nough to shee my pantiesh!"

She yelped when Zero suddenly scooped her into his arms. She demanded to know what he was doing, and he explained that he was taking her back to her room. Iris protested, saying she could walk just fine, but Zero refused to put her down. Even though Iris struggled to get free, his grip did not loosen.

Eventually, the intoxicated Reploid gave up and lied limply in Zero's arms. All of her thrashing had left her exhausted, and the ethanol wasn't helping matters, either. Now that she was still, she had to admit she was actually really comfortable. Zero's arms supported her perfectly, and her drunken daze gave her the sensation of sinking into a soft, fluffy cloud. Dang it, she really was hammered. But she was so sleepy… It couldn't hurt to take a little nap. There was plenty of time to yell at Zero later, so Iris settled into his arms and closed her eyes.

Iris awoke in her room. What had happened to her? Her head felt so fuzzy. She slowly sat up and tried to recall the day's events. She remembered getting angry with Zero, so she got some E85 to help calm her nerves, and…

"Oh, no…" she squeaked. The whole day came crashing down on her. She had chugged the whole can of E85, wandered off to get more, stumbled all over herself, flirted with several male Resistance members, and on top of it all, she had tried to seduce Zero!

"I'm never drinking again…" Iris muttered. "Grrr… I hate you, Zero! This is all your fault!"

Someone knocked on Iris's door, and the female Reploid tried her best to swallow her anger as she beckoned the visitor in. Much to her relief, it was only Alouette.

"Oh, you're awake, Iris!" the little blond Reploid exclaimed.

"Yeah, I am," Iris replied. "After remembering what I did today, though, I kind of wish I was still asleep."

"What happened?"

"I was malfunctioning a little, and I did some things I really shouldn't have done," Iris explained.

"Well, it couldn't have been anything that bad," Alouette reasoned.

"Trust me, it was pretty bad. By the way, how did I get back in my room?"

"Zero carried you here. You were fast asleep. I asked him what happened, and he mumbled something about a blockhead and panties."

If Iris had veins, one of them would have popped. She clenched her sheets and trembled with fury. "That little… Gah! I'd kick his butt if I could…"

"What's wrong? Don't you like Zero?" asked Alouette.

"Of course I don't like him!" Iris snapped. "He stalks me, he insults me, and he drives me crazy! He bothers me just as much as Menart bothers you!"

"It's too bad you think that way. Zero's actually really nice. I think he just cares about you."

Iris flopped back down on her bed. "As if. He probably gets a kick out of tormenting me. I'm sorry Alouette, but can you leave me alone for a while? I'm still feeling kind of tired."

"All right."

Once Alouette was gone, Iris curled up under her sheets. She still couldn't believe that she had nearly flashed Zero her panties. Stupid ethanol, and stupid Zero for making her upset enough to resort to drinking! If he dared utter a word of this incident to anyone else, she vowed to shave off all his hair. Maybe she could make a pillow out of it or something; it was probably soft enough. She recalled the time she brushed his hair and how it felt like strands of silk in her hands. What she wouldn't give to touch it again…

Where were her thoughts going? Iris assumed she was still tipsy. She closed her eyes and relaxed, hoping to purge the rest of the ethanol from her system.

Her dreams consisted of Zero carrying her bridal-style as he leapt through a magical land of happiness, bubbles, rainbows, and fluffy clouds. Yep, she was definitely never drinking again.

* * *

**LunaClefairy: Told ya things would start getting crazy. Ah, writing drunk characters is just too much fun. This chapter was originally much shorter, but I decided to expand more on the events that helped put Zero on Iris's "kill with fire" list. Yeah…Zero's kind of being a jerk. All that time he spent asleep did nothing for his social skills. As for Iris, she hasn't learned how to properly react to situations like that due to her mind being only two months old. Thus, she acted in a childish and improper fashion.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It was a well-known fact in the Resistance base that Ciel was incredibly strong-willed. Despite her young age, she had bravely faced and overcome more challenges than most people would in their entire lives. That strong will came along with stubbornness, and Ciel would continuously push herself to the limit even though doing so was detrimental to her health.

This was why Iris currently had her hands full trying to keep Ciel in bed. The scientist had caught a bad case of stomach flu and was vomiting to the point where she couldn't keep anything down, but she still insisted on trying to run her operation. It was a wonder Ciel could even move given how ill she was.

"Dr. Ciel, for the last time: You. Need. Rest," said Iris.

"Can't…rest…" Ciel moaned deliriously. "Got to―Urk!"

Iris grimaced as Ciel leaned over the bucket beside her bed and puked for the umpteenth time. There was almost nothing in her stomach left to expel, yet she continued dry heaving. Iris strongly suspected that Ciel's poor diet combined with large amounts of stress had finally taken their toll, which was why she was now so sick. Iris massaged Ciel's backside in an attempt to provide some relief.

"So you're babysitting now?"

Iris growled. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Zero."

The ex-Maverick Hunter was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. Iris kept her back turned to him and focused on taking care of Ciel. She was still angry at him for his behavior toward her and she was not in the mood to speak with him.

"Zero… I'm sorry…" Ciel croaked.

"Don't act like getting sick was your fault. Just focus on getting better."

"But―"

Zero gave Ciel a glare that clearly said, "You're staying in bed, and that's final." Ciel grudgingly lied back down on her bed, much to Iris's relief. The female Reploid placed a cool wet cloth on Ciel's forehead and headed for the room's exit.

"Where are you going?" asked Zero.

"It's none of your business," Iris replied. She attempted to leave, but was abruptly stopped when Zero grabbed her wrist. Iris glared at him and attempted to free herself, but Zero held firm.

"You were about to get something for Ciel."

It wasn't a question. Zero knew what Iris was about to do, and that ticked her off.

"Yeah, so?" she growled.

"You aren't Ciel's servant," said Zero. "No one will mind if you take a break from assisting her for a while."

"Has it ever occurred to you that I actually like helping Dr. Ciel?" Iris snapped. "I'm _fine_! I don't a break! Now let me go!"

To her surprise, Zero actually did free her, but she barely took two steps when she was seized around the waist and thrown over Zero's shoulder like an oversized rag doll. It took a full second for Iris to process what had happened, but once she realized what Zero had done, she nearly exploded in rage.

"Zero…" she began in a dangerous voice. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

"Words obviously weren't getting through your block of a head," Zero replied.

"You think this is funny, don't you?!" Iris screeched as she wildly kicked and planted her fists into Zero's backside. "Put me down! I'm not some toy for you to lug around!"

Zero rolled his eyes, but was otherwise unaffected by Iris's struggling. He hauled her off effortlessly while Ciel giggled at the ridiculous scene. Iris felt her face heat up as she realized how childishly she had acted in front of Ciel, which made her all the angrier at Zero.

Seeing that her struggling was getting her nowhere, she lied limply over Zero's shoulder and tried not to make eye contact with the Resistance members that were staring at the two of them. This was beyond humiliating.

"First you call me a blockhead, then you stalk me, and now you've taken me hostage," Iris quipped. "Are you _trying _to make my life difficult?"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Zero asked.

"What is there to get?!" demanded Iris. "I'm just trying to do my job, and you've been nothing but a giant obstacle in my way!"

"Exactly," stated Zero.

Iris nearly tore her hair out in frustration. "GAAAH! You're not making any sense!"

"Do I really have to spell it out?" asked Zero. "If you keep working the way you have been, you're going to end up in as bad a state as Ciel!"

All of Iris's remaining arguments were instantly silenced. With that one sentence, she finally understood what Zero was trying to do.

"So that's it," she said. "All this time you were just worried about me. You have a weird way of showing concern, Zero. Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I tried. You refused to listen," explained Zero.

"You called me a blockhead!" Iris snapped. "Did you really expect me to listen to you after that?"

"It was the truth."

Iris groaned as she slammed her palm into her face. She forgot she was talking to a male Reploid who had spent the past century in stasis and was currently suffering amnesia. Ergo, he had no concept of subtly.

"Okay, okay, I admit it, I was acting like a hypocrite," said Iris. "All I'm saying is that you could have been less of a jerk about the whole thing."

The only response she got was a grunt. Iris sighed and slumped over in resignation. She really hoped Zero would release her soon, because a tiny part of her was starting to enjoy being carried by him. That scared her a lot more than it should. The simplest things he did affected her emotions so much that she feared that she was starting to glitch up.

"We're here," Zero said at last. Iris squeaked as he lifted her off his shoulder and placed her on the ground. "Alouette! I've brought her!"

"You…you dragged Alouette into this?!" screeched Iris. Zero did not respond. Iris opened her mouth to yell at him some more when Alouette came running up to them.

"Oh good, you're both here!" the smaller Reploid exclaimed. "Come on! Everything's ready!"

"'Everything'? Alouette, what is going on?" wondered Iris. Alouette's expression became downcast, causing a twinge of worry to course through Iris.

"You really _did_ forget…" Alouette mumbled. "You promised to play with me today."

Iris gasped in horror. "Alouette, I'm so sorry! I was so busy taking care of Dr. Ciel, I completely forgot!"

"Well, I guess it's okay," sniffed Alouette. "You were looking after Sis, after all. And now I know who to ask if you forget again."

"I'm not going to forget again," Iris said quickly, glancing at Zero.

"Good." Alouette grabbed Iris's hand. "Now come on! I asked Zero to play with us too, so we can all have fun together!"

"Wait, WHAAAAAAAT?!" Iris cried.

Five minutes later, she was crouched on all fours and wearing a pair of fake black cat ears instead of her beret.

"Why do I have to be the bad guy…?" she moaned.

"Quiet!" ordered Alouette. She pointed a finger at Iris. "You are the demon cat that has kidnapped the princess! You are only to speak in meows!"

The princess was, of course, none other than Alouette herself. Iris groaned softly. No doubt this was Alouette's way of punishing her. Normally she wouldn't have minded, but having Zero see her like this was almost unbearable. While his expression was as blank as ever, she could see the laughter in his eyes.

"Those ears suit you," he said cheekily.

Iris swallowed the protests that threatened to spill forth and instead hissed venomously. She surprised herself at just how catlike she sounded.

"Wow Iris, that was great! Keep that up!" Alouette chirped. "Okay, now we're all set!"

"Hold on just a second," Zero interrupted. Iris bit back a groan, wondering just what he was planning. She watched him as he rummaged in Alouette's pile of toys and muttered to himself. A few moments later, he tossed something to Iris. "Put that around your neck."

"Oh Zero, that's a great idea!" exclaimed Alouette. "It'll look so cute on her!"

Iris stared at the object in disbelief. "A _bell_?! You can't be serious!"

"No talking!" Alouette barked. "Do as you're told and put it on!"

Reluctantly, Iris tied the bell around her neck. She didn't see why a villainous cat demon would be wearing a bell, but this was Alouette's game. Still, the new accessory probably made her look about as threatening as a kitten.

Zero crouched down to Iris's level and flicked the bell lightly. It let out a soft ding as it settled back against Iris's neck, and Zero actually smiled. "Yep. Looks good." Iris turned crimson. Zero was clearly reveling in her embarrassment. Oh, how she wanted to hit him.

She didn't have to wait long to get her chance. In their game, Zero was playing the role of the brave knight who had come to rescue Princess Alouette from the clutches of the evil demon. That meant that Zero and Iris had to clash in a mock battle, the former wielding a toy sword. Though she couldn't really hurt him, Iris relished the opportunity to take out her frustration on Zero.

After several minutes of yelling, scratching, sword swinging, and hair-pulling, Iris and Zero stared each other down, pretending to be out of breath. Alouette pulled off a perfect worried act as she glanced from one combatant to the other. Finally, Iris toppled to the floor and closed her eyes to show she had been defeated.

"Mission complete," said Zero. Iris almost laughed. Even in play, Zero was still a combat Reploid through and through.

"Sir Zero!"

A pattering informed Iris that Alouette was running towards Zero. She cracked an eyelid open and saw that the smaller Reploid had tackle-glomped her hero.

"You did it! You defeated the demon!" Alouette exclaimed.

"Of course I did. If an enemy appears in front of me, I will destroy it," said Zero.

There he went again with that combat programming. Alouette didn't seem to mind, though. "Let us return home, Sir Zero! We shall ride off into the sunset together!"

Zero crouched down and allowed Alouette to climb onto his back. Alouette giggled and clung to him tightly as he dashed around the room. Iris's face contorted as she suppressed the urge to squeal. Alouette could make even someone like Zero look adorable.

"Iris, you can get up now," chirped Alouette. "You did a great job!"

"It was surprisingly easy," Iris droned. She brushed herself off as she got to her feet. "Now then, as much as a pleasure as this has been, I really need to get going."

"What? But we just started!" Alouette protested.

"I'm sorry, Alouette, but there's still so much I have to do," said Iris. "I haven't gotten to today's cleaning yet, and Ciel still needs her lunch. Oh yeah, I'll have to get her a fresh bucket and some ice. On top of that, today is laundry day, and I still have my medical shift this afternoon. I just don't have the time to―ACK! Zero! What are you doing?!"

Zero's right arm was firmly fixed about her torso, holding her in place. His other arm easily supported Alouette's weight as she continued clinging to his neck.

"You're not going anywhere, _kitten_," Zero practically purred.

"S-stop teasing me!" Iris stammered, her face a brilliant scarlet. "Just because I'm dressed like this doesn't mean you can still treat me like a cat!"

"But you make such a cute cat!"

"Alouette, not you, too…"

"Regardless," said Zero. "You promised to play with Alouette. You have an obligation to her."

Iris moaned, knowing she was trapped. Even if Zero's arm wasn't holding her captive, she couldn't argue with his logic. "All right, all right… I'll stick around until my medical shift. Rocinolle will have my head if I miss that."

For the next several hours, Iris continued to play the role of a cat in Alouette's various games. She was petted, prodded, and ridden on, all of which would have been tolerable if it weren't for Zero. He made sure Iris knew just how much her predicament amused him.

"You make a good cat, Iris. Keep that up and I might just take you home."

"Oh, will you shut up?!" Iris yelled. Her outburst earned her another scolding from Alouette.

By the time Iris stumbled into the medical wing for her shift, she was tired and irritable, her hair was in complete disarray, and she wondered how she was going to make up all the work she missed. Fortunately, Ciel's illness meant that there were no new missions, and thus, no new patients.

"Wow, Iris, you look like you've been through the wringer," commented a female medical Reploid. She was the same Reploid who was envious of Zero's interest in Iris; Aigel was her name, Iris recalled.

"Children can be terrifying," Iris deadpanned.

"Technically, you're even younger than Alouette. Not that that's a bad thing," Aigel added quickly.

"Let's just get started," grumbled Iris.

"Wait a second, Iris," Aigel interrupted.

"What?" Iris's tone was sharp and laced with irritation.

"Why are you wearing a bell?"

Iris looked down and sure enough, the bell was still there. "AHH! I was in such a rush to get here that I forgot to take this off!"

She practically tore the bell off her neck as Aigel giggled. "Aww, it looked cute on you. Made you look like a lost kitten."

"Oh, knock it off," Iris snapped. "I got enough of that from Zero and Alouette. They thought it was a good idea to dress me up as a cat. The stupid bell was Zero's idea."

"It was?!" shrieked Aigel. "Oh my gosh, Iris you are so lucky! Zero must really like you!"

"He does not!" shouted Iris. "The whole thing was a ploy to humiliate me! He was mocking me the whole time! Now come on, let's get to work! We're practically late as is!"

The lack of patients meant that Iris had a slow shift. She made use of her extra time in order to change the sheets and take care of the medical wing's cleaning, but she couldn't stop thinking about how much stacked-up work she had. Those thoughts stayed with her even as she finished for the day and headed for her room.

Tomorrow, she'd have double her usual cleaning duties on top of whatever treatment Ciel required and her usual medical shift. She'd be lucky if she could finish it all in the precious few hours she was allotted. Iris was so bothered by all the tasks in front of her that she couldn't relax enough to shut down properly. After hours of tossing and turning, she gave up.

"It's no use. I just can't sleep," Iris mumbled. Her internal clock recorded that it was past one in the morning. "Everyone else is probably asleep by now. Wait a second… That's it! I know what to do!"

She shoved a few extra E-crystals in her mouth and crept out of her room. The base was almost pitch-dark at this hour to conserve energy, but Iris traversed it by memory. She found a supply closet, grabbed her usual tools, and went right to work cleaning. She had about six hours before the other Reploids started waking up.

It was hard to see the dirt in the darkness, but Iris wasn't concerned with doing a perfect job. She just wanted most of the dust out of the way so no one would have to breathe it in. She didn't let her exhaustion affect how much effort she put into her work. She paused every so often to listen in case someone happened to still be awake, but she never heard anything.

Even as tired as she was, Iris managed to finish with time to spare. She'd only be getting about two hours of sleep, but she did not care. Now that all of the stacked-up cleaning was out of the way, her mind was at ease. She could devote as much time as she needed into helping Ciel recover. Once the scientist was healthy again, Iris could resume her usual routine. With these thoughts in mind, Iris returned to her room and easily drifted into slumber.

* * *

**LunaClefairy: I heavily altered this chapter after reading another story that had an adorable chapter featuring Alouette. So yeah, we got plenty more Iris abuse. I'm so evil. As for the character Aigel, I was getting tired of constantly referring to Reploids other than the main characters vaguely, so I gave her a name. She'll probably be appearing more, but her role will be minor. I kept with the French theme for the Resistance members; Aigel is derived from the French word for eagle.**

**Since I changed this chapter so much, I think I'll have to write a whole new Chapter 8 and I'll probably have to edit the other chapters I've written. So the next few updates might not be on time. I'll try my best to stay with the schedule, though!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Iris suppressed a yawn as she placed a fresh wet cloth on Ciel's forehead. So far, she had been successful in hiding that she had pulled an all-nighter cleaning the halls, and she had no intention of having her cover blown now. She had spent most of the morning at Ciel's side, making sure the scientist had enough fluids and helping her to the restroom whenever necessary.

She was being a hypocrite by putting her own condition at risk for Ciel's sake, but Iris felt that in her case it was justified. Unlike Ciel, she was replaceable, and as a Reploid she was hardier than a human. The only thing that worried her is what Zero would do if he found out about her nighttime excursion, but as long as she kept her exhaustion a secret, she would be safe.

Ciel's condition had improved significantly within the past twenty-four hours. The intensity and frequency of her vomiting had decreased, and she was much less feverish. This meant that she needed less treatment, but it also meant she tried to go back to work much more frequently. Iris almost constantly had to push Ciel down just to keep her in bed.

"I knew I'd find you here," a familiar voice interrupted.

"Oh, Zero!" exclaimed Ciel.

"Not you again…" muttered Iris. "You'd better not be planning to carry me off again Zero, or I swear I will dump this bucket of vomit on your head."

"IRIS!"

"Sorry, Dr. Ciel. Anyways, since you're here, Zero, you can help out." Iris picked up the bucket of vomit. "Make sure Dr. Ciel doesn't go anywhere while I wash this out. Hey, don't look at me like that. I'll take a break afterwards, okay?"

She sauntered off with the bucket in hand, ignoring Zero's stare. She hoped those laser eyes of his didn't detect anything. It was getting hard for her to keep faking wakefulness. Her eyelids seemed to have one-ton weights attached to them, and every step she took felt like walking through molasses.

It took nearly ten minutes for Iris to reach the kitchen. She blinked rapidly to stave off double vision as she washed out the bucket in the sink, but every blink made it harder for her eyes to stay open.

"Stay awake," she muttered to herself as she scrubbed the vomit. "You'll be fine. Don't fall asleep. Just hang on a little longer."

Her body was not listening. Her eyelids drooped lower and lower with each passing second. She swayed forward and backward as the sink and bucket changed from one to two and back to one in front of her eyes. Then she was falling forward, and with a great splash, she plunged into an ocean of darkness.

She watched the light above her grow smaller and smaller as she sank. Water rapidly filled her body, but she did not panic―Reploids couldn't drown or suffocate. She felt oddly at peace in this strange black water world.

"Am I dreaming…?" she wondered. "I have to wake up!" She tried to move, but her body was too heavy.

She didn't know how long she sank. It might've been minutes, it might've been days. Iris didn't care either way. It was peaceful here, and calming. It was like the water had washed away all of her cares and worries. She didn't mind if she stayed here forever.

"…ris…" A voice, softer than a pin drop, finally broke the silence.

"Who's there?" Iris called timidly.

"I…ris…"

Iris became alarmed. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"Finally… I can speak to you…" the voice whispered.

"Wait a minute, it's you!" cried Iris. "You're the one I saw during my first night in the Resistance! Please, tell me who you are!"

"Remember… You must remember…" said the voice.

"Remember? Remember what?" asked Iris. "I haven't been activated long enough to remember much!"

"You…must…" The voice was fading fast.

"Wait! Don't go!" Iris pleaded. "I want to know more!"

She strained her ears, but she could only catch mere syllables of the voice's final words. "Ne…all…ve…"

Iris's eyes snapped open as she shot upright. She realized she was in the medical wing.

"Iris!"

Upon hearing her name being called, Iris turned and saw Zero standing at her bedside. Maybe she was imagining it, but he looked relieved.

"Zero?" said Iris. "What's going on? Why are you here? Heck, why am _I _here?!"

"Well, look who's awake," said Rocinolle. She strode towards the bed looking very stern. Iris made a noise similar to a mouse being stepped on.

"Damn it, blockhead, what the hell did you do?!" Zero growled.

"Language, Zero!" snapped Rocinolle.

Zero ignored her and continued. "You never came back after you left to wash Ciel's bucket, so I went to look for you. It's a good thing I did, because you were passed out in the sink!"

That explained all the water in her dream and why her hair was damp now.

"How long was I out?" Iris asked carefully.

"About six hours," answered Rocinolle. "I ran some diagnostics on you, and I found that your systems experienced a fatal glitch that is normally handled during shutdown maintenance. You passed out because of a fail-safe system that kicked in to fix the glitch before it became irreparable."

Iris's core plummeted into the pit of her stomach. She stared at her lap, but she could feel Zero and Rocinolle's eyes boring into her.

"Don't lie to us, Iris. What did you do last night?" asked Zero.

"I didn't sleep well," she answered softly. Maybe she could still get out of this.

"We know that," said Zero. "I'm asking what you did instead of sleep."

"I tossed and turned all night."

Zero wasn't buying it. He lifted Iris's chin and forced her to look him in the eye. "I told you not to lie, blockhead. I'll ask again: What. Did. You. Do?"

"I'm not lying," she said stubbornly. "And stop calling me that!"

"Now, now, Zero," Rocinolle cut in. "We have no proof that she's lying, and if she's not willing to talk, we can't make her talk."

Zero scowled, but he let her go. Iris internally breathed a sigh of relief.

"That being said, I think it would be best if Iris stayed here overnight," Rocinolle continued. "I assume that's fine with you?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Iris.

Rocinolle nodded at her and then shooed Zero out. He was not happy about Iris's refusal to answer and glared at her in a way that showed that he was far from through with her. Iris silently gloated at her victory over him as he left the room.

For the remaining few hours of the day, Iris lied in her hospital bed and relaxed. Aigel and a few other members of the medical staff talked to her for a while, but it wasn't enough to stop her from feeling stir-crazy. She wanted to get out and do something or at least see how Ciel was doing, but she knew Rocinolle wasn't going to let her leave. Iris had no choice to trust that other Resistance Reploids would look after Ciel.

Her dream was also bugging her. She still didn't know who had been talking or what the voice wanted her to remember. "Ne-all-ve" wasn't a word she recognized, so it was most likely several syllables from different words. This frustrated her to no end. It could be a vital clue to discovering her purpose, and she couldn't figure out what it meant.

By evening, Iris was growing restless. Every few seconds, she fidgeted and glanced at the door. Even after the lights went out, she was too worked up to sleep. She wanted to do at least one more thing before she shut down for the day.

It wouldn't hurt to sneak out for a little while, Iris thought. For hours, she pretended to be asleep and listened carefully to make sure no one else was up. She didn't move until well past midnight. Only then did she climb out of her bed, making sure her feet touched the floor as softly as possible. She kept her auditory sensors on full alert as she tiptoed across the medical wing. Every one of her footsteps seemed amplified in the silence.

The medical wing's door creaked as Iris opened it. She looked left, right, and left again before slipping outside. Her core raced as she stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Iris shrieked and leapt almost three feet into the air. She gasped for breath and pressed her hand over her chest for several seconds. "D-d-dang it, Zero! You almost made me short-circuit! What are you doing up at this hour?!"

Even in the darkness, Zero's smirk was visible. "I was going to ask you the same thing."

"I…I couldn't sleep, so I was going for a walk," whispered Iris. She let out a squeak as Zero grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward him.

"You're a terrible liar, Iris," he said silkily. "Now tell me the truth."

"That _was_ the truth," Iris hissed.

"Playing that card again, huh?" Zero chuckled. "Fine, I can wait. We've got all night."

"Wait as long as you want," said Iris. "I gave you my answer, and I'm not changing it."

Zero's smirk grew wide enough to show his teeth.

"You'll talk," he said confidently. "After all, I'm sure Rocinolle would be _thrilled_ to see that a patient she ordered to rest had snuck out of bed."

The color drained from Iris's face. Rocinolle was a nice woman, but she was very strict when it came to her patients and her employees. Iris could only imagine what awaited her if Rocinolle found her like this. She had to get back to bed before dawn, but she was trapped in Zero's grasp, and experience taught her that she would not be escaping unless he allowed her to.

She was stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place. On one hand, she could confess to Zero what she had done and be subject to whatever torture he had in mind for her. On the other hand, she could keep her mouth shut, but then she'd be stuck with Zero all night and would have to face Rocinolle in the morning.

"I hate you, Zero…" growled Iris.

"So what's it gonna be?" he asked. His tone was infuriatingly smug.

"Ugh, fine! You win! I'll talk!" Iris snapped.

"I knew you'd see it my way," said Zero.

"Shut up! I just don't want to deal with your attitude all night!" Iris took a deep breath to calm herself. "I spent half of today doing nothing except sleeping or lying around. I got so restless that I couldn't sleep. I had to do something, so I snuck out. There, I confessed. Happy now?"

Zero gave Iris a long, hard look. He didn't seem surprised, only concerned and even a little upset.

"Now what?" moaned Iris.

"You did this last night too, didn't you?" Zero said softly. "You and that damn workaholic complex…"

"What, you have a problem with my work ethic?" Iris hissed. "Sheesh, if it bugs you that much, I'll go back to bed! Now, let me go already!"

"Sorry, but I can't do that," said Zero as he reached into his vest pocket. "You've proved that I can't trust you on your own."

Before Iris could even think, Zero clamped a metal object around her wrist. It was too dark for her to tell exactly what it was, but it seemed to be some sort of bracelet.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"This will ensure you stay where I can keep an eye on you," Zero responded.

"I don't see how some silly jewelry is going to do that," Iris scoffed. "This is stupid. I'm going to bed."

She turned to leave, but she couldn't take more than a step when she felt something restraining her right wrist, and it wasn't Zero's hand. She glanced at her wrist and saw that a short chain connected her new bracelet to a second, identical bracelet that Zero held. Zero grinned at the look of horrified comprehension on Iris's face and casually slipped the bracelet―no, _handcuff_ over his left gauntlet. With a resounding click, the cuff locked securely around his wrist. In a panic, Iris desperately tugged the metal band that now bound her to Zero, but it refused to open.

"You're wasting your time. The thing about handcuffs is that they don't come off as easily as they go on," Zero commented. "Try all you want, but we're locked together and you can't get away, no matter what."

Iris gave up on the handcuff and directed her rage at the ex-Maverick Hunter. "Okay, that's it. You've gone too far, Zero! If this is supposed to be some kind of joke, it's not funny in the slightest!"

"This isn't a joke. This wasn't even my idea," said Zero. "Rocinolle asked me to use the handcuffs if you tried to sneak out."

"R…Rocinolle did?" Iris squeaked. "So you're saying I would've been screwed whether I admitted the truth or not?!"

"Pretty much."

_SMACK!_

Iris's left hand impacted Zero's cheek with the force of a small rocket. Her hand throbbed, but she was too upset to care about the pain.

"You… You jerk! You conned me!" she snarled.

"Getting mad at me isn't going to change anything," Zero stated as he gently rubbed his stinging cheek.

"Sure it will! I'll pester you until you let me out of this thing!" growled Iris.

"You blockhead," Zero scoffed. "I couldn't let you go even if I wanted to."

Iris's core froze. "Wh…what are you saying?"

"These handcuffs were designed for Neo Arcadian prisoners," explained Zero. "They're virtually indestructible, the lock is impossible to pick, and there's only one key. And that one key…is held by Rocinolle."

Iris went white as a sheet. This couldn't be happening. She was chained like a dog to Zero until Rocinolle had the mercy to release her. It was all too much to take in. Her processor overloaded, and within five seconds of hearing her sentence, Iris fainted.

* * *

**LunaClefairy: Dear God, I am so evil. I scare myself sometimes with my ideas. I've had this handcuff scenario in mind for a long time, but I had to redo how it came to be since I changed Chapter 7. And you know, I actually like this better; it makes more sense than what I originally wrote. I think I'll be putting the original scenario in a separate "Deleted Scenes" fic later along with any other ideas I come up with but don't end up in the final product.**

**I have exams next week, so I do not know if I will be updating on time. I'll try, but my grades are very important to me, so I'll be spending lots of time studying.**


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